I'm not entirely sure how good this is. Anyone know what the permanent brain or organ damage percentages are with this method? Even short term deaths usually have a pretty decent chance of reviving someone for a future life of organ issues due to lack of blood flow during the time they were dead. I'd be more afraid of doctors just creating patients with a horrible future life situation than if they simply died.

stevarooni:The CPR machine sounds like it could be widely used (portable) with no big troubles (except for cost). The ECMO sounds very sensitive and prone to risk infection.

"Alive with possible infection" is a lot better state to be in than "dead", typically. That being said, I'm sure once this gets more widely used in the US, the lawyers will have a field day suing over any of the known side effects..

Um, "clinical death" and "biological death" are two entirely different matters. IIRC, the clinical version means a flatline on vital signs, whereas the biological one means "that's all she wrote, and there ain't no more."

I'm not entirely sure how good this is. Anyone know what the permanent brain or organ damage percentages are with this method? Even short term deaths usually have a pretty decent chance of reviving someone for a future life of organ issues due to lack of blood flow during the time they were dead. I'd be more afraid of doctors just creating patients with a horrible future life situation than if they simply died.

Well, I believe that's what the high-oxygenation machine is for: To super-oxygenate the blood, to *make sure* everything gets all the oxygen it needs, and the cells don't start committing apoptosis.

stevarooni:The CPR machine sounds like it could be widely used (portable) with no big troubles (except for cost). The ECMO sounds very sensitive and prone to risk infection.

that's today. the tech will get better. and it is leads to better outcomes.so your choices are:1) you might get an infection, but this machine lowers the chance of brain damage2) well at LEAST you didnt get an infection!!!

the good news is that ECMO and AutoPulse and other new tech is great changing HOW resuscitation is being looked at.New post resuscitation protocols are greatly reducing the chances of brain damage.

Now if you can only win the zipcode lottery and live near a hospital ahead of the curve, rather than behind the curve.